Joe Pittman, starting at third base in place of injured Art Howe, went 3-for-3 including a triple that drove home the game's only run as the Astros blanked the Padres, 1-0, behind combined five-hit pitching from Nolan Ryan and Joe Sambito. Alan Ashby singled with one out in the seventh stanza and Pittman followed with his three-bagger. [The Sporting News]



Houston Astros 1, San Diego Padres 0
Game Played on Tuesday, May       26, 1981 (Night game) at Astrodome
Padres       0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  5  1
Astros       0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  x  -   1  6  0


Padres               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Smith ss              3   0   0   0     1   0   .246      Puhl rf               4   0   1   0     0   3   .247
Jones cf              3   0   1   0     1   1   .222      Reynolds ss           3   0   0   0     0   1   .250
Richards lf           3   0   1   0     1   0   .266      Cedeno cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .301
Perkins 1b            4   0   0   0     0   1   .342      Cruz lf               4   0   0   0     0   0   .267
Kennedy c             3   0   1   0     1   1   .313      Walling 1b            3   0   0   0     0   1   .197
  Edwards pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .108      Ashby c               3   1   1   0     0   0   .255
Lefebvre rf           3   0   1   0     0   0   .231      Pittman 3b            3   0   3   1     0   0   .400
  Evans ph            0   0   0   0     0   0   .333      Landestoy 2b          2   0   1   0     0   0   .164
Bonilla 2b            4   0   0   0     0   0   .288        Howe ph             1   0   0   0     0   0   .365
Salazar 3b            3   0   1   0     0   0   .270        Sambito p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Eichelberger p        3   0   0   0     0   3   .150      Ryan p                2   0   0   0     0   1   .158
  Lucas p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .167        Heep ph             0   0   0   0     1   0   .222
                                                            Thon pr,2b          0   0   0   0     0   0   .125

Totals               29   0   5   0     4   6             Totals               29   1   6   1     1   7

Time of Game: 2:23   Attendance: 17,709
Left on Base: Padres 7, Astros 6
DP: Padres 0, Astros 1
Errors: Eichelberger
Triples: Pittman (1)
Stolen Bases: Salazar (2), Pittman (1)
Caught Stealing: Jones (6)
Sacrifice Hits: Evans (1), Reynolds (11)


Padres                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Eichelberger L(4-3)     6.2   6   1   1   1   5   0  27   3.15
Lucas                   1.1   0   0   0   0   2   0   4   2.56
Totals                  8     6   1   1   1   7   0  31

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ryan W(4-2)             7     4   0   0   4   6   0  27   0.98
Sambito SV(5)           2     1   0   0   0   0   0   7   1.69
Totals                  9     5   0   0   4   6   0  34

Umpires: HP - Dave Pallone, 1B - Paul Pryor, 2B - Charlie Williams, 3B - John McSherry


PADRES 1ST: Smith grounded out (pitcher to first); Jones walked;
Jones was caught stealing second (catcher to shortstop);
Richards singled to third; Perkins grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Puhl was called out on strikes; Reynolds flied out
to right; Cedeno flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 2ND: Kennedy flied out to left; Lefebvre grounded out
(shortstop to first); Bonilla popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Cruz grounded out (second to first); Walling struck
out; Ashby flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0,
Astros 0.

PADRES 3RD: Salazar grounded out (shortstop to first);
Eichelberger struck out; Smith walked; Jones singled to center
[Smith to second]; Richards walked [Smith to third, Jones to
second]; Perkins struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Padres 0,
Astros 0.

ASTROS 3RD: Pittman singled to second; Pittman stole second
[Pittman to third (error by Eichelberger)]; Landestoy made an
out to third; Ryan flied out to right; Puhl struck out; 0 R, 1
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 4TH: Kennedy struck out; Lefebvre lined to first; Bonilla
lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 4TH: Reynolds struck out; Cedeno popped to catcher; Cruz
popped to first; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 5TH: Salazar singled to left; Eichelberger struck out;
Smith hit into a double play (left to first) [Salazar out at
second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 5TH: Walling flied out to right; Ashby flied out to
right; Pittman singled to shortstop; Landestoy singled to center
[Pittman to third]; Ryan struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 6TH: Jones was called out on strikes; Richards flied out
to left; Perkins flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 6TH: Puhl singled to center; Reynolds out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to first) [Puhl to second]; Cedeno made an out to
shortstop; Cruz flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Padres 0, Astros 0.

PADRES 7TH: Kennedy walked; Lefebvre singled to third [Kennedy
to second]; Bonilla forced Kennedy (pitcher to third) [Lefebvre
to second]; Salazar forced Bonilla (shortstop unassisted)
[Lefebvre to third]; Salazar stole second; Eichelberger struck
out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 7TH: Walling made an out to shortstop; Ashby singled to
right; Pittman tripled to center [Ashby scored]; HOWE BATTED FOR
LANDESTOY; Howe flied out to right; HEEP BATTED FOR RYAN; Heep
walked; THON RAN FOR HEEP; LUCAS REPLACED EICHELBERGER
(PITCHING); Puhl struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Padres 0,
Astros 1.

PADRES 8TH: SAMBITO REPLACED HOWE (PITCHING); THON STAYED IN
GAME (PLAYING 2B); Smith grounded out (catcher to first); Jones
flied out to center; Richards grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 8TH: Reynolds flied out to right; Cedeno struck out; Cruz
lined to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 1.

PADRES 9TH: Perkins flied out to left; Kennedy singled to left;
EDWARDS RAN FOR KENNEDY; EVANS BATTED FOR LEFEBVRE; Evans out on
a sacrifice bunt (pitcher to first) [Edwards to second]; Bonilla
flied out to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Padres 0, Astros 1.